The Usage of Multimedia to Gauge Engagement in the Classroom

Myles Kerwin, Leah A. Nillas

Research output: Faculty Advisor of Undergraduate Research

Abstract

The current battle in the classroom is students' lack of engagement in the coursework. Offering various avenues for students to interact with the course through the means of multimedia is a way to combat this losing battle many teachers often face. In this classroom research the various avenues that were explored during a student teaching experience. The school that this research was conducted in was a school of about 1500 students during three sections of United States History 1. In those three sections there would be about 90 students and 44 agreed to participate in the study. The means to collect information included student work, lesson plans, field notes, and student anecdotal records. These classroom data created a pathway to document how students were engaged during the class,especially after hearing various stories about historical figures or watching videos of varying lengths. All of these data were analyzed to gauge the students' engagement. Instances that took place were watching excerpts of Saving Private Ryan, then answering questions about the film through a worksheet. Another instance was the telling of the story of how President Teddy Roosevelt was shot in Milwaukee giving a speech and then proceeded to finish the speech. This instance had students quite literally jumping out of their seats when they heard the story.
Original languageAmerican English
StatePublished - 2024

Disciplines

  • Education

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